Newpark and Avoca Secure Sports Capital Grant

Newpark Comprehensive School and Avoca Hockey Club are delighted to announce that we have secured a grant of €138,776 from the 2018 Sports Capital Programme. This grant will go towards the resurfacing of the artificial hockey pitch at the school. Our success with this grant helps us achieve the ambitious multiyear strategy that we have put in place.

The school celebrates its 47th anniversary this year while the club celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2020. This grant is a fantastic development to commemorate these milestones and will ensure participation remains at current high levels. The facility is currently used by the school and Avoca Hockey club, with approximately 1,500 regular users.

This includes 452 boys and 405 girls using the pitch as part of the school physical education programme, with 14 teams playing in school hockey leagues. This also includes 195 students with additional needs who attend summer camps, while those from Newpark Sports Centre, Monkstown Educate Together National School, Hollypark School, Guardian Angels School, Astro Soccer Leagues and other local clubs use the facility. Avoca Hockey club has 750 members from age 7-62 who play in both national and Leinster hockey league and cup competitions. In order to continue to provide for all of these groups and participants, it is essential to relay the pitch.

Both Newpark Comprehensive School and Avoca Hockey Club would like to acknowledge and thank all the supporters of this project, including Minister of State for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor. The ambition is for this project to commence in summer 2020.